Swain Scheps - Casino Gambling For Dummies

Casino Gambling For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

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Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2022933146

ISBN 978-1-119-87312-9 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-87313-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-87314-3 (ebk)

1 Cover

2 Title Page

3 Copyright

4 Introduction Casinos and Gamblers About This Book What You’re Not to Read Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here

5 Part 1: Casino Gambling Basics: Everything You Need to Know to Start Chapter 1: Casino Gambling 101: The Inside Scoop Entering the Casino: What You’re Up Against Playing the Games: What’s Your Poison? Gambling Near and Far: Where to Find Casinos Measuring Your Gambling IQ Chapter 2: Taking a Quick Stroll Through the Casino (Casino) Knowledge Is Power Navigating the Casino Maze Meeting the Casino’s Cast of Characters Maintaining a Safe and Secure Environment Chapter 3: Probability, Odds, and a Bit of Luck: What You Need to Succeed Defining Luck: A Temporary Fluctuation Understanding the Role of Probability Examining How Casinos Operate and Make Money: House Edge Calculating the Odds in Casino Games Avoiding Myths, Magic, and Other Superstitions Relying on Betting Systems Chapter 4: Managing Your Money in a Casino Setting a Budget and Sticking to It Looking at Casino Credit and Its Risks Knowing When Enough Is Enough Understanding Taxes and the Law

6 Part 2: Conquering the Table Games Chapter 5: Minding Your Gambling Manners Dressing (And Acting) the Part Playing Well with Others: Minding Your Table Manners Giving Gratuities to Dealers and Others Avoiding the Appearance of Cheating Chapter 6: Will Bluff for Food: Poker Uncovering the ABCs of Casino Poker Betting the Farm (Or Other Parcels of Real Estate) Playing the Popular Games Avoiding Poker Pitfalls Chapter 7: The Easiest Game to Beat: Blackjack Dealing Out Blackjack Basics Preparing to Play Betting Your Bottom Dollar Playing Your Hand Identifying Common Mistakes Chapter 8: Rolling the Dice: Craps Setting the Craps Stage One Bet, Two Sets of Rules One Throw, Four Possible Outcomes Understanding the basic craps sequence Relying on Strategy to Place the Best Bets Avoiding “Sucker” Bets The New Look of Casino Craps Chapter 9: Spinning Wheel Goes Round n’ Round: Roulette Getting the Spin on Roulette Basics Betting: the inside (and outside) scoop Reciting Roulette Etiquette Improving Your Odds Avoiding Strategies That Don’t Work Chapter 10: Baccarat: Not Just For High-Rollers Counting Down the Baccarat Basics Baccarat Math The Baccarat Zoo Stepping Into Baccarat What’s the Deal? Avoiding Baccarat Time Wasters The Full Baccarat Experience

7 Part 3: Beyond the Tables: Slots, Video Poker, Sports Betting, and More Chapter 11: Tackling the “Riskier” Table Games Picking Up on Pai Gow Poker Tripling Your Fun with Three-Card Poker Betting in Circles with Let It Ride Dabbling with the Riskiest Table Games Chapter 12: Mastering the Slots Understanding How to Play the Slots Identifying Different Slot Games Getting a Handle on Slots Odds Stretching Your Money at the Slots Honing Your Slot Etiquette Playing for Comps Chapter 13: Scoring Big in Video Poker Poker? Slots? Arcade Games? Characterizing Video Poker Playing the Game Putting Your Money on the Best Machines Playing Jacks or Better: The Best Bet for Beginners Investigating Other Video Poker Games Chapter 14: Striking the Mother Lode: Keno and Bingo Catching On to Keno Basics Improving Your Odds at Keno Figuring Out the ABCs of B-I-N-G-O Calling Forth Winning Bingo Strategies Chapter 15: From the Cubs to the Bears: Sports Betting Legal Sports Betting: Coming Soon to a State Near You Leveling the Betting Field with Lines and Point Spreads Placing Your Bet in a Sports Book Redeeming your winnings Rounding Up Sports Betting Differences Relying on Strategic Handicapping Handicapper Taxonomy

8 Part 4: Taking Casino Gambling to a Different Level Chapter 16: More than Just the Derby: Betting on Horse Racing Identifying Different Racing Formats Betting in a Casino: Inside the Race Book Understanding and Reading the Sheets Placing Bets in the Race Book Picking Winners: Handicapping Basics Chapter 17: Gambling Online and in the Comfort of Home Mapping the Legal Landscape Understanding How Online Casinos Work Locating the Best (and Safest) Online Casino Games Taking Advantage of Promos and Giveaways Chapter 18: The Wild World of Tournaments Learning Tournament Basics Betting on the Most Lucrative Tournaments Entering a Tournament (and Knowing What to Expect) Strategizing to Eliminate the Competition